Qantas announce major partnership with LA based non-profit Australians in Film

Qantas have announced a major partnership which will see the carrier become the official airline partner and sponsor of Australians in Film (AiF), the Los Angeles based non-profit organization that supports and promotes the Australian screen industry in Hollywood.

To get the ball rolling, Qantas will be the title sponsor of the fifth annual AiF Awards, which takes place on Wednesday, October 19 at NeueHouse in Hollywood. The top award of the night, presented to an Australian who has paved the way for others in Hollywood, has been renamed the Qantas Orry-Kelly Award. Orry-Kelly was an Oscar winning costume designer on films like Casablanca and Some Like it Hot, becoming one of Australia’s most awarded film exports.

Qantas will also be the presenting sponsor of the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship and the official airline partner for AiF’s new creative workspace Charlie’s at Raleigh Studios and the MentorLA program, presented with Screen Australia.

“Qantas has a longtime reputation of supporting the Australian arts around the world,” said Kate Marks, President of Australians in Film. “It is only fitting that as Australia continues to produce some of the world’s best on and offscreen talent, that the country’s national carrier is associated with Australian film and AiF in Hollywood.”

“Australia is home to some exceptional industry trailblazers and we are thrilled to be a part of recognizing their achievements through such a reputable organization,” said Stephen Thompson, Senior Executive Vice President of Qantas Americas, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and Japan.

“With almost 50 direct Qantas flights between Los Angeles and Australia each week, we are also proud to play a role in helping to connect some of Australia’s brightest screen talent with Hollywood and Hollywood with some of the best film studios and producers in the southern hemisphere, including Fox Studios Sydney, Village Roadshow Studios, Animal Logic,” Thompson continued.

AiF, celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, and has forged a reputation for providing education and career development programs to further enhance Australia’s top screen talent in Hollywood.